


Our Lives, Our Planet

by ilyena_sylph, Merfilly



Series: To Make a World of Their Own [3]
Category: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Colonization, Multi, Past Relationship(s), as some are very minor appearances, not as much clone time, relationships are tagged to be kind, sorry about that, still not tagging all the characters, that would be rude
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-06-28 06:13:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15701481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilyena_sylph/pseuds/ilyena_sylph, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: The Vod'e An and their chosen Jedi are at the new world. Snapshots of their new lives beginning... and a few surprises.





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Kids cropping up everywhere...

There were many Jedi and Commanders and Captains on all the varied ships that had come to this far away system, now conferenced in via comms as they surveyed their new home.

"The thought of shifting the eccentric's orbit has come up," Plo Koon said from his ship, currently unencumbered by any of the younglings, including his own. The long trip through hyperspace had been alleviated in large part by gossip over the various Jedi that had, apparently, been breaking rules for some time.

"The more data we read, though," Xil Nottar said from his smaller corvette, "the more it is obvious that subjecting our new world to those stresses so soon after it has mostly stabilized with the wanderer would potentially harm the planet. Thus leaving us with less of a solid standing to work from, if the biomes collapse."

"We have measures in place for dealing with the rain," Cody said, "based on Captain Rex's reports. We understand how to deal with tectonics and pyrotechnics induced by the tides of it and two moons. I say we leave it alone."

"Aerial defenses?" Aayla Secura asked from her ship.

"We'd rather not have to set refineries into action, to maintain a fuel supply for the pilots at that rate," Bant replied, working from Obi-Wan's vessel. "We have enough for limited flight between landing locations, in atmosphere, but should not stress our resources."

"There are plans," Captain Jag began, "to repurpose the lighter ships to utilize natural energy fuel sources, but it will take us time to refit. Once that is in place, then yes, General Secura, we can begin aerial defenses. Until then, it will be land based, with flame throwers and careful building practices."

Lissarkh made an assenting noise from where she leaned in the holo beside Bultar Swan. "This makes sense. I know we mean to send most of the _Ventators_ back, with all memory and fuel logs wiped, but one placed in each gravatically stable point could be of great assistance." 

"Hmm." Obi-Wan stroked his beard idly, then nodded. "If we keep four of them, it should not be much of an issue. Locking them into geosynchronous orbits, send maintenance up regularly, and make hard links to databases for each one. It would be more suitable than merely relying on drone and satellite warnings."

"We'll get it done," Cody said firmly. "Now, based on these ground surveys, we need to start finalizing landing points. All units have partnered up to make the most use of the more stable cave systems that have been identified on the two major continents. The isles are more denuded and less viable, so at this time, they have been removed from consideration."

"They appear to be in the path of the prevailing tides and winds, based on the drone exploration," Thrust said from Bultar's side. "Likely the typhoons that go through have made it less attractive to the natives for survival when they already have enough threats from the skies."

"An excellent point, Commander," T'ra Saa said from the ship she was on. "And, I know we have talked over it, we all must be very careful in dealing with the natives. Their aid is essential in this endeavor, as they know how to survive. Young Skywalker's friend and her fair of dragons have seemed certain more partnerships will be fine, going forward, but we do not wish to set up any kind of imbalance."

Tholme nodded at her, and the others. "A factor we are all keenly aware of, I know."

"Reina likes the idea," Anakin put in, nodding to the elder pair. "And her mother and the other older queen were pretty insistent about it. But you're right, we'll have to be careful of their nesting sites. Ma -- Kit, Bant," oh, making himself not use the titles was going to be an ongoing struggle no matter how much he exulted in it, "I know you sent new probes to check out the oceans, how do they look to you?" 

"Amazing," Kit said, smiling delightedly from his spot next to Aayla and Bly. "Absolutely bountiful and rich and stable. I can't wait to dive in. Yes, Bly, I know one of the large eels attacked one of the probes, but I'm rather better protected." 

"Our divers will be aiding you, sir, in exploring the grottoes that were found by the third one," Bly said stiffly. 

Obi-Wan was looking forward to finding out just why that unit was being so managing of Kit, when Aayla was very much his junior. Well, there would be meetings and celebrations, once they all settled, to get the gossip.

"I believe, even in a worst case scenario, the oceans are capable of providing a sustainable life for all of us -- excepting you, Master Plo, I'm sorry -- in the way of food and material," Bant said, no more able to drop the title than Anakin was at times, when it came to their eldest members.

"Oh, Bant," Plo said, affectionate and soft, "if you must, I still have the right to the title of 'Sage'. But 'Master', I believe we are all best off leaving. It is no worry, Bant, my daughters acquired a truly ridiculous stockpile of the additives necessary to strip oxygen from food for me. So the oceans may provide for me as well, if we are pressed. 

"But we had begun discussing landing spots, I think? Bly, from your comment, you and yours wish that heavily grottoed area on the eastern edge of the large continent? Anyone else have a particularly favored spot?" 

"We are going to look there, and the big island down beneath the northern continent," Bly agreed.

Morla, a Trunsk woman Anakin had never met before, said with a quiet chuckle, "My brothers have decided that we should take to the mountains -- I think they just don't want me oxygen-drunk all the time." 

There was laughter from others at that, before Xil placed his unit's choice as that of the hot deserts on the smaller continent. Every unit placed claims, with some units suddenly changing who they would partner with based on where they were going, until all likely spots were claimed. 

There would be shifting, and some personnel would change units once on the planet, but they were settling in a spread out pattern, to allow all of them to find peace and leave the war behind.


	2. First Landing

No one had doubted the 212th and the 501st were going to choose to partner up. Shaak Ti, who had come on Anakin's vessel, in order to stay with some of the little ones, had enjoyed watching the antics of the 501st as they spoke of their 212th brothers so fondly, making plans, and wondering how many of the cadets they could adopt at any given point.

It had been a very soothing trip for the elder Togruta, and given her time to learn the young woman her hunt-daughter, Ahsoka Tano, was becoming. Shaak was intrigued by the idea of the tiny dragons, and proud of Ahsoka for recognizing her youth and Rex's lack of experience were solid reasons for waiting to act on the bond that had grown between them. She also was pleased to find that Anakin and Ahsoka really were as well-matched as Kit had told her they were. She had fretted at times, given her own experiences as a padawan.

Now, finally on the ground of a new world, the cadets spilling out in wonder to see it, Shaak felt the press of hope for a better future. She had spent much time in meditation on the way here, seeking peace with her past, letting go of the losses in a way that let her cherish the good memories.

"This way, Shaak," Ahsoka said, grinning wildly as she appeared at the elder woman's elbow, pointing ahead to the cave system. "It almost feels like cheating, because we have everything we made and gathered sealed up in the ship we crashed, plus the beginnings of quarters."

"So this is where you were all living before?" Shaak asked, amused by how easily Ahsoka had dropped titles for most of them.

"Yeah. We know the area, and Skyguy thought it had all the space we needed. We're back enough from the coast to make it a little safer from the small storms, and there's various resources in hiking distance," Ahsoka told her, taking her hand to pull her along to show her the caves. That an entire pack of cadets followed never bothered either of them; the boys wanted to help make their new home.

* * *

Obi-Wan looked at the terrain, up at the sky where one moon was still visible in the early morning light, then out at the defoliated landscape. "I take it the hungry rain just passed," he said idly, noting a few shoots of grass beginning to poke through the soil. "It's one thing to read the report and another to see it." He reached up to calm his bronze who was reacting on an instinctive level to their arrival on his homeworld.

Cody stood off to his side, likewise calming his own green, while Anakin and Rex faced them, their gold and blue calmer for being back where they had spent their first weeks.

"Yeah... it's something, isn't it?" Anakin answered, moving close enough to reach out for his Ma -- his brother's -- arm to clasp wrists. "The results, I mean. You look good, Obi-Wan. Cody, how was the trip?" 

Obi-Wan met that reach with one hand, still steadying his bronze with the other. "Anakin," he said warmly.

"Good. Restful even." Cody's lips twitched. "It's amazing to learn so much about my generals from an outside source," he added, one hand flicking lazily at the contingent of troopers and cadets led by one Bant Eerin already setting out to get down to the sea for food gathering based on the 501st notes from their first stay.

Obi-Wan gave an exasperated sigh. "I should have insisted Shaak stay with me and sent Bant with you, Anakin," Obi-Wan teased lightly.

Anakin laughed at that, and shook his head. "Ahsoka'd have sulked -- they've had a good time together, all the way here." He waved at Bant, cheerfully, and refocused on Cody. "I'm kind of scared of what you learned about me, but Bant always did have some fun stories about Obi-Wan. 

"Did you two have as much excitement from some of the cadets as we did?" Anakin asked, and then turned his head, feeling the excitement of a small group of the cadets that had gotten off to the edge of the _Resolute's_ massive ramp and crouched, pouring some of the bare dirt through their un-gloved hands.

"We had to replicate the dart guns swiftly, after they got tired of Murderball," Obi-Wan said, amused. "The idea that they could try and assassinate veteran brothers was too much to resist after someone put the idea in their heads," he added.

"Trapper was just trying to get them out of medical," Cody defended the 'someone' in question. "They're doing well, though, and have more or less sorted themselves out to veterans, even though we've pointed out that they will need to spread out, join others, as we shuffle them and the refugees for better community building."

And that was another whole basket of things, Anakin thought. The big refugee ships wouldn't start arriving for another two weeks, but that meant there was a _lot_ to get done. "Yeah... there was a lot of that with us too, though it might have been Echo -- I didn't ask. 

"Ahsoka loves it." 

"I'm certain she does," Obi-Wan said, now that he'd had it explained to him that his grand-padawan had been a mass hallucination shared by the men for years, because of her visions as a child. "So, according to your notes, there's space enough in those caves to house both our legions and then some, if we quarry a bit to make it usable."

"Looking over Mint's rough drafts of the place, I think you're right," Cody told Anakin, before glancing at Rex, who was just… breathing in the air and listening. Cody knew his brother could run quiet but this was a bit odd. "Rex? Your thoughts?"

Rex focused, having been scanning all around, then snorted. "We have the space," he said. "Might need to shore it up, but my entire engineering crew has been studying columnar design this trip back here. The caves make the most sense, to start with, and any rock we cut free that's not needed for shoring up can be used to build out buildings and corrals for the beasts we decide to try and domesticate."

Anakin nodded at that. "It's definitely going to take cutting between some of the open spaces, and I wish I knew why this rock naturally makes these giant bubble-caves; they're not even half water-cut, but... I can't argue with the results. Ready-made refuges from the hungry rain. I'm glad our stronger scanning systems found that river underground, though, that'll help a lot in -- " 

He spun around and yanked three of the cadets a meter in the air as the loose dirt erupted with the head of a not-snake, and Reina and every other dragon in the area converged to rip it apart. 

"Kriff!" Cody snapped, blaster in hand before he even had realized it. "You said they were bold, but there's dozens of us stomping around already outside the ships!"

Rex shook his head, having reached for and then not pulled his own blasters, as soon as his blue blinked away from him. "They have no fear, though once they know the dragons are about, they'll get wary of groups."

"Alright, everyone," Obi-Wan was saying, projecting his voice. "These boys have just encountered one of the local dangers! Team up, no one out of a group that doesn't have an adult with blasters! And no running barefoot!"

Anakin gently let the boys down, careful of them catching their own footing, and called, "Sorry about the lack of warning, boys!" 

He thought about it for a few seconds, and almost thunked his head into Rex's shoulder. "The soil, and the fingers running through it, back and forth, pouring and sliding. Like an injured one thrashing, tossing sand. That's what brought it. The rest of the vibrations, more like a herd stomping around and they don't like being trampled." 

Rex nodded. "Good reasoning, sir." He then looked at Cody. "Come with me, vod. You're itching to get eyes on 'home', I can tell. Pretty certain 'Soka took Mas -- Ti down into the caves too, and she's the one with suggestions from Koon's people on cave dwelling."

Cody's green rematerialized daintily on Cody's shoulder, a moment before Rex's blue joined him, and the two men moved off to explore.

Obi-Wan then turned enough to survey the troopers moving around to make certain all cadets were protected even as they paced off placements for moving the prefabs and supplies off the ships. The Republic would be a long time recollecting all of the smaller fighters and tanks that had been dropped on planets to make room for this caravan crossing but it meant the colony stood a good chance of establishing itself.

"There will be a lot of adjusting, some issues even, Helix said, once the euphoria of a home wears off," he said quietly to Anakin.

"How could there not be?" Anakin replied, as he moved to lean against his brother's shoulder. "It's the one thing they've never had. Real freedom, even if only on a single planet. They don't know how to deal with that. I mean... I didn't. 

"If they didn't love each other so much... I think we could be looking at a lot of really bad things. But they do, so. That should help. And a lot of the ones coming had experience of freedom, even if it was a while ago." 

Obi-Wan nodded. "I think, Anakin, you have a lot to offer in guidance, even if this is your first taste of real freedom too." He slid an arm up around Anakin's shoulders, then looked around. "Did Padmé and company decide to take charge of the caverns already, or are they organizing supplies inside the ship?"

"Probably organizing inside," Anakin answered, pressing into that wrapping arm as Obi-Wan said what they both knew. The Order hadn't been freedom. But they had it now. "And I hope you're right about being able to help. 

"Mint and Vasq didn't leave Rabé for days when she got to the _Resolute_ ; it was adorable." 

"I had forgotten that she had made that alliance," Obi-Wan said, chuckling. "Waxer has charge of our half of the supplies. I swear, he literally used force-tape to attach things to the ceilings of the bays to use more space," he added. "He's a vibrating mess, though, because Numa is supposed to be on Tholme's ship, given that they were closest to Ryloth to pick up the orphans and refugees there."

"Not sure I told you, actually. Coric did that, too. And sealed stacks of the crates into columns with it, just in case. Numa is?" Anakin asked, startled and delighted for their sakes. "And Boil's pretending he's _not_ , huh?" 

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Of course he's not. Just like he didn't volunteer to go be brute strength to deliver the part of the supplies we carried for Tholme." He squeezed Anakin's shoulders a little. "I think Cody and I may be adopting. We've had a shy little … three year old, so six apparent … cadet following us and mimicking our actions."

Anakin turned his head to stare straight at his Master, his eyes widening. "That's -- wow, Master. Obi-Wan, whatever, don't give me that look, I -- well. At least you know some more about it, this time around? And you'll have Cody." 

Obi-Wan nodded. "Hopefully I don't make as much a mess of it, Anakin, as I did with helping you grow up. But Cody's solid, and has steadily been getting the boy's trust. Seems he's the only survivor of a malfunction in the incubators around his batch, according to a few of the elder ones."

"Oh _kriff_ , that poor kid," Anakin breathed, his heart aching for the boy now. That had to be awful on him, leaving him none of the ones he should have been closest to. Finding out that the jars were capable of creating shared environments had not exactly been fun for any of the former Jedi, though the boys thought it was perfectly natural. "You'll do okay, M -- Obi-Wan. What's his name?" 

"Pep. He did volunteer that to Cody all on his own." Obi-Wan got a soft smile then. "Apparently, despite his shyness, he has a lot of energy and enthusiasm to learn and live, from what the elder boys have said."

"Well that's good," Anakin said with a grin, "and ought to be a little familiar." 

He really was pleased at the idea, at his brother and brother-in-law maybe adopting a child, having someone to raise. Not nearly sick with jealousy the way he'd been the week Obi-Wan had been talking about taking a padawan, before Ahsoka arrived and turned his world on its ear. No... no, this was good.

"We should likely get to work too," Obi-Wan said then. "Your ship or mine, to unload first?"

Anakin pulled a marked washer from his pocket and flipped it. " _Negotiator_ ," he said once he'd looked at the thick ring of metal on the back of his hand. 

Obi-Wan laughed at that style of decision making, and went with it.


	3. Seaside Conversations

Bant went with the group of cadets slated for the 327th, not as many as other legions were taking in, but a fair number of them. They also had supplies in place, and were delivering those, with requests to pick up things the 327th had procured for others.

She dropped her shuttle in sync with the others, on the flattened landing point their ship had used and launched back into space from. A week's worth of work had already seen steps cut from the high landing to the beaches and various openings in the cliff wall. The entire island was volcanic rock, but it seemed that the main volcano had, at some distant point, gone extinct.

Xil Nottar said he was almost certain there had been a dynamic tectonic shift when the stray planet was captured, and that was why there were a lot of 'new' volcanoes, and several 'extinct' ones that had been marked out.

The beach glittered below as she climbed down, carrying several crates with the Force while her men used the pulley system that had been rigged to lower more of it down. The children and cadets were policing each other, helping where possible and guarding for snakes.

Once Bant had placed the crates down in the designated unloading area, she looked for the nearest _vod_ and smiled at him. "Where is Kit?" she asked, wanting to see her former teacher.

"In the big cavern around the cliff-face that way, sir," Deke answered easily, smiling a welcome at the Mon Cal his little brothers spoke so highly of. "Just follow the path, though he's likely in the water investigating." 

"That wouldn't surprise me," Bant agreed, smiling back before she went on. The path, it seemed, involved a massive cut through the cliff face, and stairs down... but Bant froze on the stairs for several long moments, because in front of her was a large expanse of water, and a water-smoothed opening out to the sea proper gleaming bright with light. It was a goodly sized lagoon, but on this side there was a rock shelf and beach, with far more of the cave stretching back away, solidly dry and climbing up in uneven levels before it disappeared in the dark. 

She shook herself, hearing people behind, and kept moving down to the shore. Safe entry to the water, even in the worst of this hungry rain's falling... wonderful. And, when they got to crafting water-going ships, safe harbor for those. 

~Master?~ she sent, now that she was close, curious to find out where he was. 

There was a moment's surprise before Kit answered. ~Just, Kit, my dear Bant. And … ahh, you're in the Harbor. I'll be right there!~

~Oh, right... but that's a bother,~ Bant muttered, ~unless you want me to take up calling you _buir_.~ 

Kit's laughter bubbled through the link between them, even as he cut a strong path back to her, breaching the water not from the forward point of the cave, but off to the side where Bant's eyes made out a tiny ripple indicating an underwater current joining the cave's waters.

"Hello, my dear one!" Kit said as he got far enough in to stand and walk toward her in the shallows. "It's so very good to see you!"

"It's good to see you, too," Bant answered, trotting down to join him and holding her arms out. "Making hearts pound all over once again, I see," she said at his scant swimming apparel, contentedly pressing into his embrace. "So what were you diving through?" 

He pressed his cheek to hers, then smiled broadly. "The men aren't given to swooning… anywhere Aayla can see," he teased. "And there's a cut-away tunnel that leads to a smaller system of caves, separate from the main caverns we are exploring. 

"I was trying to determine if they suit my needs or not, and have decided no, but they may do for cold storage since the crates are impervious to water once sealed." He then shook his head at her. "You have no idea how much your words tickled me, Bant. But come, let's go sit before someone yells at me that I am supposed to be taking breaks. We've smoothed out seats on this side of the beach, in the water."

"Oh, how wonderful," Bant said happily, and followed him down, curious. "Your needs? I've never known you to be picky about anything, Kit." She lost several of her own layers away from the water, and happily sank down into it, stretching her long feet out and letting her calf-fins flare out in the water. It didn't bother her to wear human-designed boots, or at least not much, but it always felt good to get them off. 

"Hmm, well, you see, Bantling, you were not far off with that _buir_ comment," Kit said, amused still as he took her hand. "Just not yours, as dear as you are to me. You're more like a younger cousin than a child." He waited for her to pick up the gist of that comment.

"Not far off with..." Bant repeated, trailing off as she did, and staring at her teacher. "You -- but -- you can't cross-breed, even with a Twi'lek, no matter how much they acquire interesting genetics, and -- Wait, is Aayla...?" 

Kit wound up laughing even more, shaking his head as his tentacles wriggled in joy. "No, dear one, she is not. Maybe someday, but not yet, and not soon, because we are expecting already and have so much work to do." He squeezed her hand, mindful of the suction points in the palm. "I am the one carrying. I … got carried away on my homeworld, after helping end the insurgency there."

Bant blinked both eyes at him, because she was well aware it took deliberate intent to create a child for Nautolans, but she wasn't going to give him difficulty about it. "That did sound like it was a mess. I can see why you would have been celebrating. You... you're carrying. I. Oh my. Congratulations, my dear teacher. Does Fracture have everything he needs to be calm about it?" 

Her teacher and friend was carrying new life. And Sage Plo had brought his youngest child. Well. How interesting! 

"If he did not before we left, he does now," Kit said. "As your grandmaster acquired a data transfer from Master Che herself apparently." He grinned broadly. "I do hope you will be a member of the spawn's family? I'd like for you to midwife, but I'm confident in Fracture if you prefer not to."

"Of course I will!" Bant protested the idea that she would not indignantly, "to both, even. And good for Mas -- grandmaster Jepet. I had no _idea_ she would decide to come, even after Shaak told me what was about to happen." There, she'd barely hesitated to use Shaak's given name. 

"Areen," and Kit grinned for using the name, "is being a doting grandmother at Plo's child, and for this spawn, once it arrives." He leaned over against her. "I went to tell her, because I could not just leave without letting her know, wanting to stress to her it was not anything she'd done that took me down the path I chose.

"Only, I really didn't have to, because once I mentioned my spouses and the spawn, she was volunteering to come, and you could have pushed me over with a feather."

Bant splashed water at him with her free hand, cupping it to make a better wave for that grin, and then nodded. "I can see why you were so surprised," she agreed, because Ma -- Areen, aiyee, that was worse than trying to use Sage Koon's name without any title -- Areen was such a devoted Sentinel and Shadow. Maybe that was why, though, since she had to be disgusted with the Republic. "Though, as you said, she's being grandmother, so..." She shrugged a little. The intricacies of the relationship between Masters Giiett and Koon had never been any of her business, but Bultar was her friend, so she knew more than some had. "And I'm glad. That she came." 

Kit laughed for the splash, and then nodded. "She's been ready to retire for a bit, but the Republic kept needing her. I honestly would not be surprised if Master Sinube doesn't turn out to be aboard one of the ships that went near Coruscant, at this point.

"Then again, he'd probably choose to remain, since he was there, and an old ally of CorSec, to keep an eye on the Guard's freedoms."

"This is certainly one way to enforce a retirement," Bant said with a burbling giggle, "and.. that would be like him. To have stayed to help the Guard. But it would also be like him to have found his way aboard one, too.

"I think he would have been in the conference, though." 

"Possibly, yes." Kit smiled at her. "We will make our lives here, and good ones." He leaned against her. "I am glad you chose to come with us, my friend. The Republic needs to find itself, and I fear that will not be a safe process for those that remained.

"However, I have a sneaking feeling the Guard is alert to that, and will do what they can for the Order."

Bant nodded. "I expect you're right, my teacher. And yes... this will be a good world. I am glad I had many organic gills with me on Kamino, and more glad that I know how to coax them to reproduce. The air from them, swimming, is _intoxicating_ , I can only imagine what it must be like for you." 

Kit nodded. "It is the most amazing ocean to swim in. We won't have to do much to bring the water in the nursery… as soon as I figure out where! … to needed levels for the spawn." He straightened. "Help me explore? There's a flooded cave section that seems to have an outlet to a bubble in the rock; maybe it will work?"

"Of course," Bant laughed, and pulled over her belt and the sealed pouch with one of the gills within to her hand. She wouldn't put it on until it was time to submerge, but she certainly had no objections to helping find a safe nursery spot for her teacher's spawn. Her teacher's spawn. "Who else knows already, and who are you claiming the privilege of telling for yourself?"

"Areen told Plo, all of my unit knows, and probably the Wolfpack, if not all of their units… but I am not concerned about the secret now," Kit said. "Feel free to share where you wish!" Now that Bant knew, there was no more need to hold it back, and Kit wanted to share the joy anyway.

"Alright, Mas… Kit."


	4. Toothy Encounter

It had taken the boys a bit of time and ingenuity, but Plo now had a stable carrying-frame for Pel's bubble that buckled behind his back and rested on his chest, allowing his young child to go out along with him in their explorations of possible housing sites. He thought that it should have been the combined former 501st and 212th that took the greatest of the caverns, but they had preferred their prior location... and Wolffe had jumped on the other largest system. 

It was well in the north, far from Ahsoka and Rex and Cody, but Wolffe seemed unbothered by that. They did have two legions, as well, and were likely to adopt many, so Plo had subsided from his mild objections when Wolffe pointed out that they would be able to bring a relatively large ship inside the mouth of the cavern and some distance inside, for him to convert to Dorin conditions. The ship would be sheltered from any attack of hungry rain there, as it would not in some of the other places they had considered. 

At the moment, Plo was delightedly exploring the more reasonable tunnels away from the great mouth of the cave, enjoying the feel of solid stone and a roof a pleasant distance above his head. Sometimes he wondered about genetic memory, because it wasn't as though he had been raised in caves, but they still felt so very... _correct_. 

~Home home home SAFE~ came from his young child, enjoying the exploration as much as Plo was. The little one was as keen on seeing everything as any explorer of the clan, and mostly did not seem to suffer from the long distance to xir mother. Granted, Pel also was adept at 'convincing' xir many brothers into napping in the Dorin 'room', as it was called, so xie could climb on them and sleep close.

~Yes,~ Plo agreed, pressing his mask against the bubble for a moment, washing love and affection at his little one. ~This will be home, and a good, safe place for us.~ The stone was a comfortable temperature and a pleasant, rich brown hue, shot through with red and black. He reached a place where the tunnel shelved downward, and directed the light attached above his goggles down. The shelf was not bad, and he had made a few meters down without having to cling to the rock much, Sinker following along behind him, when there was a sudden flash of aggression and predatory hunger and something attempted to latch onto his foot. 

He wrapped his thoughts around Pel protectively, defending xie from the assault of hostility, and turned to dealing with the thing. The pressure was rather more than he had expected, and he lifted his foot to stomp down, as the creature's aggression turned into pain-shock-anger from having impacted his near-impermeable skin.

Pel made a chittering noise at the thing, xir mind shielded but able to follow that look down. Sinker was already reversing his walking staff to get the spear point at the top into the thing, offended that it had attacked his _jetii_ and worried for his general's safety. All of those things were toxic, and some had proven venomous.

The tunnel snake, for its part, was not able to evade the stomp, being mad with pain and already hostile from having its domain intruded on.

Plo hummed soothingly to Pel, as he allowed Sinker to finish off the wounded beast, shaking his head. "Why did it not go away, when it sensed strange things," he muttered to the air, more than actually asking a question. "No, Sinker, I am fine. It broke its jaw, and a fang, on my hide. Do not worry for me." 

"You're certain, sir?" Sinker asked, trying to shake the feeling of failure that General _Buir_ had been attacked.

~Nasty bad rock worm~ Pel contributed, projecting enough to include Sinker in the thought.

"I am certain," Plo replied, reaching to wrap his hand around Sinker's shoulder firmly, gently soothing. "And yes, it was a very bad rock worm," he agreed with Pel both aloud and mentally. "Well, where there is one, there will likely be more. I will do a better job of listening for them."

"I'd appreciate that, sir, or… we could go back for the day, bring the electronic pulse relays with us next time?" They had rigged low voltage devices that, when set around an area, produced an electric pulse that tended to stun the tunnel snakes, making them betray their locations by sound and leading to a fast round-up of the creatures.

"What do you think, Pel?" Plo asked, after a quick glance to be sure that Sinker was safely armored, especially around the feet and legs. 

~SEE!~ Pel sent with all of xir enthusiasm. 

Sinker did not sigh aloud, but kept the spear point aimed down as they readied to move forward.

* * *

Sinker fell, exhausted, across the big pallet, sighing as he did so. "We. Are. Kriffed."

"What'd'ya mean?" Boost asked, not even looking up from cleaning the flamethrower he would be using the next day, if they had the pattern of this deadly rain down. 

Wolffe sat up, his eyes raking over his brother -- but he looked fine, so whatever it was couldn't be too bad _yet_. "Hm?" 

"Well, first off, the tunnel snakes can't get through the general's skin," Sinker started off. "One broke a tooth, and maybe its jaw trying." He flopped onto his back, spreading out over as much of the space as he could, making Comet push his leg away. "Second… that little biter is going to own our souls."

"We have those?" Comet asked.

Boost looked up from the flamethrower then -- to judge the distance of kicking Comet in the hip lightly -- and said, "Good thing about the general's skin... and didn't we already know that about the biter?

"I mean. Who hasn't been his mattress so far?" 

Wolffe on the other hand was trying not to growl that his general had been bitten at all, even if it didn't hurt him. 

Sinker snorted. "Well, even our _buir_ isn't immune." He poked Comet with the tips of his toes to his ribs. " _Buir_ asks Pel if we should come back for the pulse relays, and… Pel is all, **explore** at us… so we did. Instead of coming back.

"We're kriffed, when even the general is wrapped around xir talons."

Wolffe huffed, shaking his head as he considered this new wrinkle. " _Buir_ won't let Pel hurt xirself... the rest of it, we can manage. At least I hope we can. But -- he seriously let Pel decide what you were doing?" 

Sinker nodded. "Certainly did, _vod_." He closed his eyes. "Also, some of the cave rock is slick as grease. Had to be steadied once because boots lost traction."

"That shouldn't happen," Comet said, frowning. "Well, means we'll have to texturize the walkways, or lay some kind of traction stripping." 

Well, _Buir_ had to have had a reason... but Wolffe would be happier if he had any idea what it was. It wasn't a dangerous situation, not with Sinker in gear and the general apparently too hard-skinned for them to break, but still. 

"You get images and a reading on the rock?" Boost asked. "Help if we knew what kind to keep an eye out for." 

Sinker sat up enough to make certain the others saw him roll his eyes at his brother. "Of course I did. Already handed it over to the survey team so they could add it in. But I'll take it by our armorers too, see if they can suggest mods."

"Just not right now, huh?" Comet asked as Sinker flopped back down.

"Yeah, not right now."

Wolffe snorted at the byplay... and stretched a hand out enough to run his fingers through Sinker's silver hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plo Koon can withstand vacuum for short periods of time and he doesn't have to wear a bio-suit to protect against oxygen, just his respirator and goggles. Hence the impervious skin. That's our headcanon anyway.


	5. Invited to Attend

Areen Jepet had spent over a century and a half guiding the Jedi Order's Sentinels, either directly, or by training and advising their leadership. That she had been disillusioned by the spectacular failure of the Order to preserve the Republic in a manner that was worth their own morals was an understatement. 

The task of helping settle the new colony, on the other hand, had challenged her in brand new ways. As the 327th warmed to her as something of a an elder family member, she had devoted herself to learning more of their ways and culture. Also, getting to know Aayla, of whom she knew many things but had never interacted with, was something that satisfied her greatly. 

She'd always been proud of her padawans, guiding several to Knighthood and beyond, but the truth was that Kit, for all he had not followed in her footsteps, had been one of her favorites. Micah, likewise, had been another favorite, but for far different reasons. After two padawans so gifted, Areen had settled back to teach classes, instead of padawans, fulfilling that need to share knowledge in that way.

Now, she had an entire legion and all the boys they had adopted, to teach and it was reaching her on a core level that she had not realized needed to be filled. Between that, and preparing for Kit's offspring, she thought she had managed to occupy herself quite well. Finding herself face to face with a small golden dragon as she foraged along the coastline, however, was throwing that into doubt.

~Curious. More like me. Still no wings.~

Areen reached out to offer her forearm, as the dragon recognized their likenesses. "Yes, little queen. My people would be more like you," she said aloud, while conveying the concepts as best she could in her mind. Years of associating with Plo Koon helped her there.

~Eggs crack soon. Make friends with new ones?~ the queen pressed, accepting the perch.

Areen paused to consider that. They had noted the colorful beings flitting around their new home. She had seen many men leaving offerings for them, yet the queen had gotten to her, to speak with her about this. She knew from the briefing that Skywalker's group had been encouraged to impress, and that the clutch the 212th was given had been brought with the wishes of its queen mother.

~Why encourage children to join us?~ she sent, bringing it to a fully mental level, to be certain there were no mistakes.

~No-wings make fire protect more from hungry rain,~ the queen said. ~Hatchlings safe with no-wings, then teach how to stay safe when alone. All work together.~

Mutually beneficial cooperation, without greed or avarice in it appealed to Areen. It was, she noted with regret, exactly what the original alliance between the Jedi and the Republic had been meant to be.

"Show me where the nest is, and I will be certain we are on hand when it hatches," she said, letting the Queen guide her to where the entire small fair was on guard, since their queen had left. There were maybe twenty mounds of sand, Areen counted. Not many to share out, but they would make more… and some day might well see every being with a dragon to help him keep the nightmares at bay.

She would take news back to Aayla and her men, along with the queen's idea that no more than two more sunrises would see them hatching.

* * *

Aayla left the hydroponics unit she was... having a _discussion_ with as Mas -- as her mother-in-law stepped into the cavern, turning to look at her curious. "Hello, Areen. What brings you?"

Areen looked at the goop and light units, shook her head, and then focused on Aayla. Science like this was not her forte. 

"I had a meeting with the queen that is nested closest to our caves today," she told the young woman. "She wishes us to come to the hatching, and is certain it will be no more than two more sunrises away. I believe there may be twenty eggs in the nest."

"She... wants us to come to the hatching," Aayla repeated, blinking. Anakin had told her about the queen's encouraging them to bond with the little ones, but she hadn't really expected to have their locals do the same. "Did she give you any better idea of 'why' they seem to be so in favor of such a thing? I mean, we must be so strange to them... and yet." 

It would be helpful, if Bly had one of the clever little things, for when their spawn arrived, if they were all as protective and community-focused as Ahsoka and Anakin's seemed to be. 

Areen laughed softly. "Because we guard more with our fire, so the hatchlings are safe. Yet they, as they grow, can keep us individually safe. They are quite social, and seem to think of us, as sentient beings, as new extended members of a social cohort to protect resources. Or so it appeared when I was speaking to the queen.

"Who, I will point out, noted that I had a bit more in common with them than the humans among us. I was impressed at that deduction."

"My," Aayla said, blinking a couple of times. She wouldn't have expected that from such a small species. "They really are very clever, aren't they? I certainly can't argue with their reasoning on our tools, either. 

"Two days... well, that's plenty of time to ask the boys who wants to take on the responsibility of friendship with one of them -- and let them sort out how not to overwhelm the nest with too many bodies." 

"If I may? Sorting that out today, and camping near the nest tomorrow might give the adults even more reason to see and trust them all, so when the rain comes again, the natives throw in more support?" Areen suggested. "We could make it a hunting venture; I think I heard rustling on the way there that indicates some of the ground roosting species."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Aayla agreed, "and please, there is no 'if you may'. We are all in this together, now, and I think we're going to need every good idea anyone can come up with. My boys may yet look to me, but... they will learn to stand more on their own, too." 

Areen shook her head. "I am still finding how best to phrase things with you. I am… experienced. But you are as well, in different paths. Social politeness is needed, while I find my footing with you." The elder woman then smiled. "I do like you, Aaylas'ecura. I have admired many of Tholme's stories of you.

"But as you now hold such a place of reverence in my Tadpole's life, I want to be certain I do not misstep with you, as we find that place of ease as family."

"That," Aayla said with a quick, brighter smile, "I can understand. I feel that way, too, because Kit looks up to you so much. He was absolutely overjoyed when you came back with him, you know. And oh, when he realized Bant was with Obi-Wan..." 

Areen smiled gently at that mention of her grand-padawan. "I am relieved she did not stay. Her sense of duty might well have guided her to do so, to try and cover our trail more intently. But her assistance in sorting out the various parts of the archives and history we are building will be invaluable.

"Tahl trained her well, even as she recognized Bant's need to learn healing, and Tadpole allowed her to continue in that vein," Areen said. "Back to Kit, though… this felt most right in that moment. It is time to learn who we all are, and, in time, our descendants may well seek the Republic but they will be far more independent than what the Order had conditioned us to.

"Because your wonderful young men have many lessons to share with oldsters like myself and Tholme on how to un-indoctrinate ourselves."

"Yes," Aayla agreed, wholeheartedly, smiling at the thought of the _vod'e_ and how much their bonds of brotherhood had altered all of the former Jedi for the better. "They do, at that. Others might think it would be entirely the other way around, given Kaminoan training, but... the longnecks couldn't destroy their hearts. Despite all their attempts. 

"And that, they passed to us... those of us that would listen, at least, to truth different than what we thought we knew." 

"The idea of family is not foreign to me, at least, given how much Tyvokka insisted that we protect the Five, and what they were crafting." Areen sighed ever so softly. "I wish he had shared his visions with us, so that perhaps we might have guided things better.

"But. Because of Micah, I knew how much stronger we could be by allowing the ties to exist. This? Expands on that."

"I wish I'd known him better," Aayla admitted. "Master Plo so often thought of him, when he was helping me. I knew Master Jinn better, because Quin was so close to Obi-Wan, but... I mostly spent time with Bultar away from both masters." 

"Which is how I did not get to know you as a youngling," Areen agreed. "Because you were still mostly under Vos's keeping then, not Tholme's." She had another soft look on her face, because Bultar was as dear to her heart as Micah had been, so perfectly trained and keenly intelligent in all the ways of their chosen path. She had helped much in that last year of training, both because of how injured Plo was in his psyche and to help soothe her own ravaged heart.

Aayla nodded, smiling at the thought of her friend -- who spent most of their comm calls cooing about the newest thing Pel had done... when she wasn't beaming her delight that Thrust and her father were getting along as well as Aayla had already known they would. Aayla was fairly sure she wasn't much better, because Bly and her grandmaster were bonding over, of all things, fishing. 

"I am sorry, for your sake, that Vos was not available to warn," Areen told her. "But as I told Tholme and T'ra Saa, I'm not counting him out. Not when both you and Obi-Wan are here."

Aayla tipped her head, considering what Areen had said, and then nodded. "And Grandfather," she agreed. "If he engages his wits with the messages we left, he will probably be able to find us. But that relies on Quinlan engaging his wits." 

Areen could not help but laugh. "Did you ever hear the story of how he almost got Kenobi drowned?" she offered, as she took a seat nearby to entertain Aayla as the woman finished her tasks in this cavern.

"Only from his perspective," Aayla replied with a shake of her head and lekku, "so please, tell me, while I get this done." 

Areen pulled up both Tholme's and Jinn's words about that encounter in her memory, and began telling the tale for Aayla.

* * *

Bly was sitting against the head of the bed, still amazed by the tiny little being that had accepted him as a partner for the rest of their lives. He had acquired a blue, just like Captain Rex's, and both of his spouses had greens.

He glanced over at them, Kit in the tank that served, currently, as his habitat in their quarters, until they finished making a proper lagoon-style tub for him. Aayla was on the stool, both greens on her lap as Kit ran a finger down the nubs of the spine ridges. All three hatchlings were comatose with having been fed again after the trek back.

Aayla stroked the little green wing half-stretched across her thigh, shaking her head a little. "They... really do bond intensely. And I am so pleased to have her, but I wish the lot of you had listened that we _jetii_ could wait to see about bonding to these little friends..." 

"No." Bly shook his head. "Fracture is right; you _jetiise_ have different traumas to sort through. Getting you, as the heart of our community, stable and supported, helps all of us."

Kit shook his head, but he didn't answer that, leaving the words to Aayla. He was still overwhelmed by the memory of the hunger at hatching, and the intense bonding experience.

"All of you are overly protective," Aayla told him affectionately, her other hand sliding to brush over Kit's head, along the crease between two of his tentacles. "But Fracture got Kix on his side, which rather puts paid to our attempts to argue. 

"What do you think of the experience, Bly, love?" 

"There's a reason I suggested only the older ones for this, and Fracture especially," Bly said as he ran a finger over his blue's tail. "I think it is… traumatic and cathartic all in one. Hunger politics were used on us on Kamino, but knowing we can fix it? Will help many of us move past that. The link is even deeper than a batch bond. 

"And, once Fracture talks to all of us, we'll make a full briefing for the younger ones, so they can range out and find natives to sweet talk for eggs of their own," he said. "But not until that."

Aayla nodded, wishing he was closer at that commentary -- she'd known, from things he'd said, that the longnecks had used that weapon, too, but hearing him say it so calmly... she wanted to be holding him. The thought that helping feed the hatchlings would help them deal with their memories of that trauma, though, was a good one. Just so long as it didn't make them worse. "That makes sense, _cyare_. And -- I'm glad you did, if it was likely to wake that pain. You and our veterans have had time away from it." 

Bly gave her a warm smile. "Fracture paid attention when we sent him to the medic's class down at the 501st," he said. "We'd just not had the time to look into the natives yet to put it all together, but Gen-- Lady Areen was right. Once invited, we needed to go."

"Yes," Aayla agreed, "it wouldn't have done at _all_ to ignore her request. Terrible way to start what we want to be a friendship, that." There had been no golden queen in this clutch of eggs, but Areen, much to her surprise, had come away with a striking, almost coppery brown, the only one of that color. The one bronze had attached himself to Fracture, and there were two other blues. But mostly the clutch had been little greens like her friend and Kit's. 

Bly looked down at his blue, and let the sense of wonder push aside the memories of the hunger. "It will be overwhelmingly good for us to partner to them," he decided. "Kix is of the opinion that their telempathic language will only continue to broaden our own empathic index," he added. "Making any children we have likely to be more receptive over time."

"Oh, my," Aayla said, having not heard that particular line of thought before. "As a rule, you're all already far more aware of the Force than most, if your empathy keeps increasing... that will be something truly special. T'ra Saa will be intrigued at the changes, I'm sure." 

"Means we'll be ready to handle ones like our child," Bly said, smiling warmly at Kit, who gave it back, eyes flickering in surprise and acceptance both. "The non-Force using ones, that is, with those who do. Because you all proved to us that you do better with proper support."

Aayla had to chuckle at that, nodding. Why was Kit surprised, though? Bly had almost shattered when Kit came to them in such haste, to tell them he was carrying. The mere idea that he might have been gone and not known they had a child coming had devastated their human husband, and that had gone a long way to healing all three of them. Strange how such things had the oddest impacts. "So we do... so we do. Shock that that was to all the ones that came as infants." 

"That there may be more Force-Sensitive children to provide for, while nurturing the others," Kit began, "is not something I truly thought of. Most of the Force-Sensitives here that are capable of carrying likely will not be able to do so due to incompatible biologies. Those who can contribute to the life, mostly, are paired off to non-carriers." He nodded to Aayla briefly, acknowledging that she could, if she wanted, make a child with Bly or another male. "But… there is a strong chance that children of the _Vod'e_ will be not just empathic, but open to the Force itself… because of how close our lives are entwined.

"That is something we must ask my mas -- we must ask Areen to help prepare for," he finished.

"Because it is dangerous for the Force to be strong in someone without having discipline to guide it, and shape it, rather than letting it shape others," Aayla said, understanding what had sparked the surprise now. It was their wonderful mate, spiraling ahead to a concept that had not yet occurred to Bly himself. Or to her. 

Bly shook his head, astounded at the thought of that, of there maybe being children between some of his _vod'e_ and some of the women that were to come on the refugee ships that could have the Force a massive shock. "It... we hadn't thought of that, either," he admitted. "That... well. That's... something, isn't it?" 

Aayla nodded, thinking about the possibilities with a smile on her face. "It certainly is, _riduur_. It certainly is." 

"At least Areen is used to teaching, and I have done so at times." Kit grinned. "And Ahsoka is adept at youngling wrangling, much like Lissarkh. So. We will figure it all out."

"So we shall," Bly agreed to that, and Aayla hummed her agreement.


	6. Refugee Arrival

Neither Anakin nor Obi-Wan were expecting any other Jedi to come in with the refugee ships. Padmé had known some of her Naboo friends would be aboard, having asked them to make contact with Cham Syndulla on Ryloth when she learned that was who the _vod'e_ had been coordinating with.

So it was a bit of a shock to find Depa Billaba with her padawan Caleb Dume leading a group of Mandalorians … including the Duchess herself.

"Things just got very strange," Cody said to Rex, standing back from them all. He knew what his _jetii_ felt for that woman.

"Master?" Obi-Wan asked, even as his eyes darted over the people with Satine… and Satine herself. 

"No longer, Obi-Wan," Depa answered that. "As with you, I resigned." She favored her padawan with a gentle, almost exasperated look. "Someone would not stay behind to continue his training."

"My place is with you, and with our brothers," Caleb asserted, pointing back to the small company of men that were doing their best to help the many former slaves, indentured bond-servants, and Mandalorians to disembark in the flagstoned area near where they had landed. 

"I am… startled," Obi-Wan said then, before he met Satine's eyes.

"Hello, old friend," she said with a quiet voice. "Master — no, no title — Depa Billaba and her men were sent to negotiate an end to the hostilities that had flared on Mandalore as the Republic was bickering over the loss of their army.

"A solution was found for my people, with my exile as the price. Some chose to come with me."

Padmé had come to see the arrival, wearing her newer dress that helped deflect attention from her growing belly, and smiled with delight to see her friend. She would wait for Obi-Wan to finish greeting her before she added her own welcome, but it was good to see her. 

Anakin hung well back, close enough to listen but out of the way, his gaze flickering between Cody and Obi-Wan for a few seconds -- before he shook his head hard, once, and went to help with the heavy lifting. The less they used the powered equipment they had, the longer all of it would last. He was shocked at Depa Billaba's presence, and amused at Caleb's stubbornness... but if she'd decided to come with Grey, that raised her in his estimation a good bit. Satine, though, was more than a shock, and he wasn't at all sure he was pleased about it. 

Not that he really had any choice. Here she was, and here she'd stay, so he might as well use the time doing heavy lifting to make himself accept it. Obi-Wan and Cody were well and truly stable, and he and his teacher and brother were far better than they had been... ever, actually. She wasn't a threat, wasn't going to steal his brother, it would be fine. Now just to make his gut believe that. 

Obi-Wan nodded at that summation of her presence, then stepped forward, taking her hands before leaning in when she did not protest to kiss her cheek lightly. "Welcome Satine. The planet is not a peaceful one, between the cyclical hungry rain, the earthquakes, and the volcanoes, but it is a challenge less severe than, say, oh dodging assassins?"

His eyes were twinkling, but the demeanor was far more 'old friend' than 'flirt', and Cody knew it. He appraised Satine… and she knew it as well. They would be just fine.

Rex relaxed as he saw Cody do so fully, and then touched the back of his hand to his brother's. "Let's lend a hand?" he suggested, and Cody nodded, with the pair walking off. 

"Caleb --"

"On it Ma -- Depa," the boy said, jogging back to lend his aid to the unloading.

"I can vouch for that, Satine," Padmé said with a laugh, amused at Obi-Wan's commentary, "and oh, it is good to see you!" 

She moved up to offer her hands once Obi-Wan released Satine's, then hugged her. "I can't quite break myself entirely of wishing for news -- there are those I worry about -- but that can all wait." 

Anakin's vanishing into the hold worried her a little, but Kwilaan was calm enough on her shoulder. He'd know, if the 'no-wing bronze' of their group was too distressed. Reina was, apparently, calm enough, because her fair had not yet been summoned from everywhere to keep watch over the new person.

Padmé was certain Ahsoka would probably read Anakin the riot act if her pair vanished from her for less than defending their home, given that she had set out with an exploration party three days before.

Obi-Wan tipped his head to Depa. "Like the lady of our home, I too hunger for news, but it is best saved for the social time after dark," he admitted. "Do be welcome with us. The refugees will be encouraged to move out to the various home ports around the world, to equalize the population somewhat," he added. "And you are welcome to look over the surveys, make a claim of your own, or move into any that already exist."

"I will wait and see how Grey feels about things," she told him. "We are a small unit after all."

Padmé nodded even as that proved part of why she would have come with Grey. "Obi-Wan, if you want to lend a hand with the cargo as well, I can see about finding somewhere for Satine?" 

"Ahh, yes. Before Anakin hogs all of it… my stars, Depa, did you bring solar power generator and battery chargers?"

"Yes, as Grey nor I wished to be empty-handed when we arrived," Depa said, turning to walk with the younger man. "We relieved a droid refinery of them, just before the war officially ended, and remembered where we had cached them."

Satine watched the pair go, then looked back at Padmé. "You look very well, my friend."

"I feel wonderful," Padmé answered, smiling. "It's... so freeing, not having to give a damn what any random stranger might think, or look over my shoulder all the time for the press. The men still slip sometimes and call me Senator, but..." she shrugged. "They're getting over it, thank the Force." 

"You will have to help me, with those who followed me into exile, to get past 'Duchess'." Satine shook her head. "I do not like admitting that my path was too wrong for all of my people. That I let my childish wishes lead me on a path that cemented the differences. But, having come face to face with the reality of it, I accepted the exile willingly, so that perhaps they can truly heal and move forward."

She walked alongside Padmé to the very impressive bluffs with a few entrances clearly marked and now shuttered with paneling taken out of ship decking before sending them back on via a slave circuit with clear navigation instructions.

"It looks fascinating," she added, once she could make out more of the details.

"I'll help any way I can," Padmé agreed, glad to hear that that was what Satine wanted. "And it's... definitely hard to admit that what you thought was the best choice for your people, what you hoped to give them, had poison at its heart. I... know a little about that. I'm glad to hear, though, that you think there's a good chance for stability now."

Padmé squeezed her friend's hand lightly as they walked. "And it is fascinating," she agreed. "Every entrance to where we live has to be able to be closed airtight in bare minutes, because of the hungry rain, but we all have a fondness for open air. The men have been amazing, using their old weaponry to cut air channels deep inside, with overhangs, cutbacks, and grating to stop it getting in that way. Ma -- Sage Koon had many words to say about the necessity of air circulation in caverns, even if some of it was mutterings about 'never thought I'd use this to move _oxygen_ '." 

Satine laughed at that, even as she considered the source. "Kel Dor, I believe? I suppose he would have opinions. I understand their homeworld is mostly in cave systems." She then shook her head. "We brought flame units, with long wands and back-frame fuel packs that can use plant based fuels.

"As Master — as Depa told us what we would face in colonizing here."

"I should hope she would have," Padmé answered with a moment's laugh of her own, " as it's nowhere to bring someone that wasn't warned. And oh, those will be greatly appreciated, I know."

Satine squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. "We will do all we can to be a part of this colony, and learn from past mistakes." She meant it, and was, in her own way, looking toward this new future as something free of the responsibilities that had wracked her life from childhood with strife and chaos.

This would not be an easy thing, and there would be hard work, but she would be one of the people, not a figurehead.

* * *

Obi-Wan waited until they had gotten most of the new goods out where the others could shift them to their storage places, and then caught Anakin inside the final hold, away from others.

"You're concerned."

Anakin sighed, and turned to lean back against the bulkhead, bracing his shoulders to let them take his weight before he looked at his brother, arching a brow. "Why is it that now you're all perceptive?" he asked, but there wasn't a trace of heat in it. 

"Oh, I don't know. There's no Sithly compulsions on either of us?" Obi-Wan pointed out, but he smiled. "You don't need to be worried, Anakin. Satine truly is merely an old friend at this point.

"We were both young and naive and while I will always have a fondness for her, I have recognized that a lot of the feelings involved are tied up in missing that era of my life."

Anakin smiled back at him, and considered those words thoughtfully, nodding after a few moments. "That makes sense. I just --" he stopped, and shrugged. "Seeing her shocked me, a lot. I guess part of me is... still scared of anyone with that much pull on you. And there's you and Cody with your son, and..." 

He shrugged again. pushing his left hand through his hair. "I point out, I _was_ knocking myself over the head over it. But... thanks." 

"I know you were." Obi-Wan came and placed both hands on Anakin's shoulders, looking up at him with a fondness that ran soul-deep. "And it is only fair that I try and reassure you. While Cody and I are nowhere near to the exclusivity in your marriage, inviting Satine to test those waters would only happen with his complete accord.

"And, honestly, I feel no pull to do so. Let her find her own path, explore as she was incapable of as House Kryze's hope."

Anakin pressed up against Obi-Wan's hands, his own settling around his teacher's shoulders as he listened. Of course Obi-Wan wouldn't do anything with Satine without Cody's complete okay, but Cody could and would be a self-sacrificing idiot where Obi-Wan was concerned. He smiled, relaxing a little more than he already had, at those last words. 

"I hope she can," he agreed, and he did mean it. He didn't, personally, think much of her opinions, but the two people he loved most respected and cared about her, so he did want her to be happy. 

"That is what this place is," Obi-Wan mused. "A refuge from the expectations placed on all of us." He then stepped back. "Now… do come on. I want all of Depa's gossip."

"Right behind you," Anakin agreed, flashing a brighter smile at him.

* * *

Depa looked around at the circles upon circles of the men, the refugees from Mandalore, and the liberated citizens of the Republic. She noted each of the Jedi as she looked around, smiling kindly at Bant, at Anakin, before focusing on Obi-Wan.

"So the fallout of your choices has begun to be felt," she said in a clear, calm voice that carried through the quiet crowd, all of them giving her their respectful attention. "My master, Mace Windu, was neither truly surprised nor displeased by the exodus.

"I believe, though none have gotten him to admit it, that he was being obstinate with the Order's direction in order to make it most likely that your group would do just this," Depa added. "As he made sweeping changes in the aftermath."

"What kind of changes?" Obi-Wan asked, as the men pondered that level of manipulation, quickly grasping that it had not been aimed so much at them as the Republic. Razor, and Ponds before him, had always said Windu was a good one, just too Jedi.

"Due to the lack of personnel in the Order itself, they are working more closely with the various Service Corps that have always been under the Order's umbrella," Depa began. "Master Saesee Tiin has instituted a new curriculum to aid those Force Sensitives in those that wish it to master their potential.

"He has retired from the Council, and excepting Masters Rancisis and Windu, the rest of them followed his example." She shook her head. "When last I spoke to Mace, he intends to join Master Yoda on sabbatical, once he has hammered out the changes."

"That's… pretty shocking," Bant volunteered.

"I know." Depa then drew in a deep breath. "The Home Guard is, as all of you planned, firmly under the protection of CorSec, and CorSec will not allow them to be borrowed by any agency that does not also contract a Jedi Sentinel to go with them. Only a Jedi Sentinel may, from an outside source, lead any former GAR members that now belong to the Coruscant Guard."

"That's a relief," Cody muttered, echoed by the other officers.

"The order will provide protection for diplomats from any system, and arbitrate such meetings, but they will no longer directly speak for any political body in diplomatic efforts. The Republic is being made to see that it must handle its own." Depa gave a quick, sharp smile. "The Hapan Consortium did, in fact, make a power move and swallowed up three systems that were dissatisfied with the Republic.

"This is making the Senate slowly understand that they are lacking in the skills of actual government of their overall area, as the first two negotiation parties never returned, having scorned Jedi protection… and sent male-identified negotiators."

"Oh that went well," Padmé said scornfully. She did not like dealing with the Hapans, but had brokered trade deals to get raw materials for the Army twice in the first year of war.

Depa inclined her head to the former Senator. "When Mandalore destabilized," and she looked to Satine ruefully, "the Order did send me, and my unit who were still under my command due to some interesting deals with CorSec, to try and help them find the cause."

"My sister, Bo-Katan, gave that cause up willingly, at great cost among her Nite Owls," Satine said with respectful grief. "Obi-Wan Kenobi, the man that killed your master, and his brother, were remanded into the care of their homeworld, to see if they could be rehabilitated. It is unknown how he came to still be alive, but that seemed the fairest thing to do when, upon being told by Master Billaba that you had disappeared completely, he seemed without purpose in life."

Depa watched the younger former Jedi as he digested that. "Obi-Wan, I felt a deep schism within him, one I could not understand for I did not know him, but one I felt kinship with. Eeth Koth saw to the repatriation, with Adi Gallia, even though it meant breaking an interdiction on a forbidden world."

"I am… stunned. But given the levels of manipulation Sheev Palpatine had gone to in his machinations, Depa, I do not find it hard to forgive the man for his violence, and wish him a safe recovery into a better life."

Anakin glanced over at his master, his brother, and made certain to make time for him later, just in case that was only shock, and not the true emotions.

Cody was already resting a hand on Obi-Wan's knee, so Anakin knew there was plenty of support to be had.

"When the negotiations on Mandalore turned out as they did," Depa continued, "I asked my men if they wished to escort the political exiles, and they agreed. Which is how we came to be here among you, for all of us are weary of conflict.

"The Republic is having growing pains for the first time in centuries, and as my master is aware enough that the Order cannot midwife whatever evolves in the process, I felt sanguine about coming." She did let her gaze fall on Caleb, fond of the youth who was starting to put his height on at last, and continued. "Even if some people chose to be stubborn."

"It's my nature," Caleb said easily, getting a bark of laughter from the brother he was leaning against.

"You are all welcome," Rex said. "Behavior guidelines are posted in the main hall. We'll start setting up interviews for you all with other sites, let you choose where to settle in at. We're just the clearing house, after all, and the planet's got a lot more to offer than just this tropical heat.

"We do have the Rain coming in two days. Any volunteers for defense should report to Appo tomorrow morning, to see how it's done. Those who don't defend… are expected to be on service duty for medical and food and the aftermath, where we search out any burrows. People who prefer those duties, for whatever reason, may report to Rabé, Helix, and Kix. All of those offices are clearly marked on the directory in the main hall."

There were nods and murmurs of agreement, of help to get used to it, and Depa could feel the shift from nervous apprehension toward acceptance of the new life.


	7. Latecomers

It had been well over a year since the last of the refugee ships had arrived, and two since they had first landed to begin their lives. Settlements were thriving using a combination of protections to grow crops, like shuttered fields, hydro-electrical shields that burned the stuff on contact, flamethrower crews, and of course, the burgeoning population of native dragons that were bonded to the newcomers.

Where cave systems existed, the dwellings were firmly in their stone. Some groups had opted to tackle a more nomadic existence, moving between the rains with the native meat sources they had been domesticating slowly. Others had taken to the seas, once they figured out how to laser-cut the giant trees with bark like stone itself.

Some settlements blended all three lifestyles.

Ahsoka was the first, of course, to hear that their lives were being intruded on. The beacons for their world were designed to filter any new ships to the original settlement location, and her montrals had matured fully to allow her to pick up the ship harmonics long before anyone thought to look up. 

"Chase; Catch; go look," she said, once she had spotted the dot in the sky that she could hear. The pair launched from their perches, and blinked out. In a breath, she was looking at a small scout-type vehicle, Kuati designed, through their multifaceted eyes. She made her brain sort it into lines she could understand, then recalled the pair before breaking into a jog to go find Anakin.

Anakin was currently working on repairing one of the tiny ethanol-fueled glider wings, a preferred mode of transport on either continent, though not exactly rated for crossing the ocean. Near him, one of the twins slept, while the other played peacefully in the contained space for them.

As always, Ahsoka's heart nearly melted at seeing the twins. They were her niece and nephew, so precious to her in all ways.

"Skyguy, inbound ship, small scout," she reported to him, from the doorway of the shop that had been built with rock quarried nearby. "Or would you rather I go find Obi-Wan?"

"Huh? A ship inbound? No, I'll go," he said, freeing himself carefully from the glider's mechanisms. "Did you two get a good look at it?" he asked Chase and Catch, as Reina lifted her head from where she was laying on the sleeping twin, then settled back down. 

They both eyed him reproachfully, as if they would ever fail to scout for their no-wings. They then projected the images to him anyway, knowing he had a harder time sorting through the lensed effect of both of them looking at something.

"Of course they did," Ahsoka said unnecessarily.

"Nice looking little Kuati ship, I see, thank you Chase, Catch," he agreed, and reached out to scratch under both of their chins lightly. He knew they'd done that to discomfit him, despite that he'd asked to at least attempt politeness, but he was getting better at that trick all the time. "No markings I know, but that's not exactly a bad thing." 

He looked down at Reina, and was firmly told she would take care of the hatchlings, freeing him up to head for where the ship _should_ land. 

Ahsoka followed him out, before Chase launched and blinked out, going to get Rex to join them, no doubt.

"You two," she told Catch, who pretended innocence at being involved. She kept up with Anakin easily, her long legs now a match for his. "So, you think it's a Jedi coming to beg for help, or a new refugee?"

"Any reason it can't be both?" Anakin asked, bone-dry, as he considered the question. "I don't know... I think refugee. Nobody's had even a glimpse of trouble we'd need to help with, and I think we would." 

"True. Between you, Oh Child of the Force, and some of the others," she said cheerfully, shading her eyes to look up as the ship grew in their sight. "Uh-oh… do those lines on the nose look a little like Kiffar marks to you?" she asked, squinting hard to see that far even as it was getting larger.

Anakin looked up, amused at the fact that the more Ahsoka grew into her hearing, the less sharp-eyed she was for purely visual things. "...yes... yes they do, actually," he agreed, as his brain jumped to the same place hers had probably gone.

"Catch, go tell Rex not to come, please," Ahsoka told her other brown, who cheeped and then obeyed her. "If that is who it looks like it might be, we don't need the boys out here." 

She had heard about his antics with Bly on a harsh mission, but the 212th hadn't had such a bad time of it, given that Vos had given Obi-Wan hell the entire time in a way that showed their deep bond.

"Aayla's missed him," Anakin said, "and Obi-Wan has, too. But..." They had no way of knowing which side of things Vos, with his jerk behavior towards some of the vod'e, had come down on. 

The scout vessel came to a neat landing on the flagstones of the landing sector, which at least said the pilot could obey signals. Ahsoka crossed her arms to wait, eyes on the hatchway, which opened to reveal … a woman with a kid about the same age as the twins?

Then Quinlan Vos was there, hands on her shoulders for a moment before they all three emerged together. The woman was a pale human with hair nearly the color of Master Windu's lightsaber, Ahsoka thought while the baby favored Quinlan a bit more in skin tone, so… maybe this wouldn't be so bad?

Quinlan, for his part, looked past the woman and child to see the two former Jedi, and his face broke into the biggest smile ever. "Skywalker and Tano! I have to be in the right place then, because Obi would never move past his padawan!"

Anakin couldn't help smiling back, because when Vos wanted to be charming, he really was, and that sounded like relief and satisfaction. "You found us," he agreed, "and you're right, Obi-Wan's not far away. You finally deciphered what they left you, huh?" 

Quinlan laughed, then shook his head. "It took me some time to get back; I'd stayed after you all had taken Dooku out, to be certain we knew who controlled what in Separatist systems." He then looked down at his wife who shrugged, but the expressions between them were caring. "When I did try to find my master to fill him in, I was a little… worried.

"But Luminara put me back on track." He looked back at the pair. "Ahsoka Tano; Anakin Skywalker? Meet my wife, Khaleen Hentz, and Korto, our son."

"Aayla's going to be so amused," Ahsoka said, before she nodded politely to the woman, who gave a frankly appraising look her way. 

Anakin smiled brighter at that, and stepped up to offer his hand to Khaleen. "Welcome, then, to all of you. 

"A pleasure, ma'am. Though I hope you're braced for several 'how do you put up with him?' questions from his friends... and hello Korto, too. My twins will be delighted to have more kids their age to play with, no matter where you decide to settle." 

He let his eyes half-close, and reached for his brother. ~Obi-Wan... _vod_ , oh, _vod_...~ he cheerfully sing-songed across the bond between them. 

~Hmm… Ani?~ Obi-Wan sound/felt like he was being roused from a nap, and given the sun was at the perfect height near the fruit trees he and Cody tended and kept hammocks under, it was probably just what had happened. It also meant Pep was probably in 'class' which was mostly practical learning of their world and its strange life.

"It's good to know there are children," Khaleen said. "A planet full of ex-soldiers had me worried, but Quin said he was told that the reduction in dancers all through the galaxy was related."

"There are a few children, so far," Ahsoka said. "But a lot of those dancers recognized the lack of experience our brothers had in such matters, and are going slow in finding mutual paths forward.

"Besides, we had a lot of children we rescued too, both from the boys and the refugees that joined them."

Anakin saw the confusion cross the woman's face for a moment, and almost smiled. "There were still a lot of young clones on Kamino, Khaleen," he said, "and their older brothers weren't about to leave them behind." 

~Sorry, _vod_ , didn't realize you were asleep. But I think you won't mind, for this. Head for the landing ground, once you're decent again...~ 

He got an agreement that was half-lost in the sleepy waking period that Obi-Wan had in his retirement as a professional gardener and arborist. 

"Ahh, that part I had not considered," Khaleen said. 

"I really hadn't either," Quinlan said. He then looked around, to the few mid-size ships they had kept off to one side of the landing zones, and then out, further, to the cliff and the various outbuildings of stone. "I think I like the natural look."

"Stone is the best protection," Ahsoka said. "We've learned that even armor-plas will pit if a big enough clump of the Rain hits it."

Anakin smiled, but this one was more bitter and edged. "The Republic didn't exactly like to admit to any specifics about the army's age at all. Admitting to the children on Kamino would've made that image problem even worse. And yeah... the stone's about the only thing that absolutely can't be damaged by the Rain. 

"And it's pretty, in its own way. Obi-Wan was apparently grabbing a nap, he'll be here in a few." 

"Alright." Quinlan reached out and took Korto then, shifting the boy comfortably, showing familiarity with handling the still small child. "I take it then that my padawan and my master are elsewhere?"

"Separately, even," Ahsoka said. "While T'ra Saa likes the island Aayla's clan has, she was more comfortable inland, away from the salted air. Both settlements are in the North, though, and have to be reached by shuttle or ship.

"Individual gliders don't have the range, and the ultralights can't take the winds over the sea."

"So you are working on light-power avionics? I have some experience there," Khaleen said. "Useful in my former profession to get in and out of places as quietly as possible."

"Oh, wonderful," Anakin said, and flashed a bright smile at her, "that'll be a help. We've got fuel for quite a while, as long as we keep the trips across the oceans to medical needs or for major gatherings, but we're all sort of fond of traveling and seeing our brothers scattered elsewhere. So we keep trying new things to get longer ranges and/or more stability out of what we've come up with so far. 

"You've got your ship, though, so even less worry on that front for a bit." 

"I'll look forward to seeing what I can contribute then, other than keeping Quin out of people's hair," Khaleen said, and Ahsoka had to grin.

She thought the woman would fit in pretty well.

She then looked down the path to see Obi-Wan coming up in one of the solar carts. They didn't go that fast but beat walking, and were useful for covering the expanse between the groves and fields and actual living/working areas.

As soon as Obi-Wan could actually see who was there, though, he abandoned the cart and took off at a run, causing his bronze to make a protest and take off from his shoulder, not appreciating the bounce.

"QUINLAN VOS?!" Obi-Wan demanded, making a line straight to his friend. 

Anakin burst out laughing as his brother ran towards them, and stepped well out of the way to let that reunion happen, looking to where the bronze was circling and whistling to offer his shoulder as a perch. 

"OBI-WAN!" Quinlan matched his volume, bounding away from his wife after handing the child back to snatch his old friend up in his arms, bleeding off the sheer velocity that way. "Look at you, what are you doing, trying to get as dark as I am? Failing at it, if so..." 

"Oh shush you! I know better!" Obi-Wan said, though his skin had weathered some tanning, given their lives settling into a farming style. He hugged Quinlan tight again, smiling broadly. "I tend the trees when the sun is high, so I have shade, and the gardens in the evening for the sake of saving my skin!"

The bronze came and settled, poking a query of ~queen~ at Anakin to ask where Reina was. 

Ahsoka moved closer to Khaleen and Korto. "Why don't we swipe the cart and head toward the great hall, figure out where we can settle you three until you go visiting?"

"That sounds good, though we could stay on the ship," Khaleen said.

"Oh no; the boys will want stories," Ahsoka said firmly. "And to host."

Anakin answered with the image of Reina sleeping on Luke, with Leia lying next to them, as he gently scratched the bronze's neck-ridge, then nodded his agreement with Ahsoka's words. "They sure will. We haven't had anyone new show up in over a year, after all." 

Obi-Wan's bronze chirped and launched from Anakin's shoulder, wings beating only a few times before he vanished -- and Khaleen gasped. "What was -- how did -- " 

Ahsoka laughed then, smiling at her. "Our little friends can teleport. Almost from the moment they're born. No, we don't understand it either, but it's not a Force power; it's something innate to them." 

"That's… wow." Khaleen shook her head. "That got left out of things Quin told me from his meeting with the Jedi," she admitted.

"They may not have really thought it needed to be said, given how they used it against the Chancellor a few years ago," Ahsoka said, shaking her head as she took the driving side of the cart. "It's a smooth ride but you might want to sit under the little sun shield there, or some of unattached ones might come to see the baby? They're curious about hatchlings, and aren't as mannered as the ones that live with us."

Anakin left the pair to their own devices and perched on the back of the cart, leaving the seat and its sun shield for Khaleen and Korto. "She's right about that; they will and they're not." 

Quinlan, for his part, was focused on his old friend, his arms still wrapped close around him. "You... farming? Really? And you're all right with that?" he asked, searching his face. 

Obi-Wan smiled and nodded. "I think it is very appropriate, given the historic meaning of 'Fett' that so many of them have chosen it as a lifestyle. And who knows? Perhaps my life would have been better if I had just accepted my fate into the AgriCorps," he added, just to tweak Quinlan's sense of the ridiculous.

"Oh, yes, of _course_ it would be," Quinlan replied with an exasperated shake of his head, "you ridiculous loon. Did you have to do quite so much encrypting of that part of the message you left me?! Even once I came back, it took forever, and I didn't dare ask any of the others..." 

Obi-Wan sobered. "Yes, Quinlan. To protect all of the men, and to make certain you understood how one-way this trip was, by making you invest effort into knowing the truth," he told his friend, turning so they could start walking down, slower than a cart, but he did not mind that. His life had a lazy rhythm to it, most days. "Besides, 'Nara knew enough to help you find things out."

Quinlan sighed, and kept his arm draped over Obi-Wan's shoulder as they walked, hand cupped around the outer point. "She definitely helped," he agreed, "and... I can see your point. It just. I finally made it home, and... none of you but 'Nara were there. 

"She's about to the point of telling the entire Senate exactly what she thinks of them and finding her own way here, I think. Once Barriss is actually Knighted -- you know about the breakdown she had, right? -- there may be another ship." 

"I hadn't heard, and for pity's sake please don't mention that too casually near Ahsoka," Obi-Wan warned. "No one is certain how far things went in that corner, but even Anakin said Barriss seemed to be better after exposure to our padawan." He slipped his own arm around Quin's waist, happy to have a good friend close at hand. "Speaking of padawans, you might wish to visit yours before your master."

"I won't," Quinlan promised, willing to keep his mouth shut for Obi-Wan's padawan's sake. "I thought it was before you left... but then again, she said they kept it as quiet as possible. Truly facing how much of the violence had been completely engineered damaged her badly, set her back by several years. She won't carry a lightsaber even now, but since she means to stay in the Halls of Healing, that's not as dangerous as it might be.

"I should go see Aayla first, hm? All right, then, I will. From what your Ahsoka said, she's at least sort of on the way, anyway." 

Obi-Wan sighed and frowned at what had happened with Barriss. "Well, if it happened before we left, she may very well know. And just didn't share it, as she might have taken it as a failure on a personal level.

"And yes. The Island is before the continent, and T'ra Saa wished to be away from the sea. Tholme indulged the wish, as he finds river fishing just as satisfying as sea fishing."

"Apparently my Master's lady does not appreciate salt air," Quinlan agreed, "again, from what Ahsoka said, but it sounds like other things I've heard from him. All teasing aside, you do look wonderful." 

"I know," Obi-Wan said, before laughing and squeezing Quinlan close. "You do too, Quin. And… was that child yours? And the lady; did she have the poor taste to fall in with you?" he asked, catching up on his friend's life on the walk back to the great hall. They had plenty of time to catch up now.

Life, which had been so good of late, had just gotten better.


	8. Master and Padawan Catch Up

Aayla still wore her comm on her wrist, though most often it went without making a sound for days, as all of her brothers knew where to find her, and few things were urgent enough to need it. So it was a surprise when it chirped at her as she swam in the nursery pool, their daughter darting down to the bottom to snatch up toys and kicking fluidly back up to her on the surface. 

She rolled onto her back to tap it on, "Yes?" 

"Aayla," Longears said easily, "there's a ship coming in. Pretty sure, from its approach comm, you're going to want to meet it." 

She blinked, and reached for Kit, ~Love? Where are you?~ 

~Hmm, not far? I accidentally caught a fish. Bringing it home for dinner.~

This had happened more than once as unsuspecting local fish came to 'catch' the tentacles while Kit explored. While a few bites had required medical aid, Kit had gotten much faster at catching them with the Force before his tentacles suffered.

Aayla laughed across the link, amused and affectionate. ~One day, the fish will learn you are not a meal for them. Can you come home faster? Apparently there's a ship coming, and I should meet it. I don't want to leave Kaila alone, she's very playful at the moment.~

~Well, then I will swim faster.~ Kit suited action to words, swimming into the big cavern before he beached and walked the little distance to get to the nursery they had wound up cutting out of an air pocket in the cavern wall.

"Hello, loves," he said, keeping hold of the fish he'd caught, more than large enough to contribute to the night's meal.

"DA!" Kaila said, a little burble in her voice as she didn't quite flush the water fully out to talk in Basic.

"Hello, my love," Aayla said, swimming to where she could pull herself out of the pool easily. She kissed him once she'd pulled herself clear, and glanced at the fish. "Ah, I see why it's dinner, rather than one that got a talking-to and sent off. I'll be back when I can, Kaila." 

Kaila nodded a rather sulky understanding, and shot off across the pool again. Aayla shook her head at her energy, and trotted towards the exit and the stairs towards the landing field overhead. She'd dry quickly enough on the move, after all. 

Kit watched her go, then shook off his reverie from the kiss, for her beauty, for all they were, and started on prepping the fish after getting a drop cloth.

* * *

Quinlan was _not_ nervous. Not a bit. Just because he'd gone and gotten married and had a child was no reason to be nervous about meeting his padawan for the first time in years.

"Stop fidgeting, Quin," Khaleen told him, as she helped Korto stand on shaky legs, holding his hands as he wobbled there, just off the ramp.

Aayla hadn't quite made it all the way up ahead of the ship, but she was only a few stairs down, and she came to the top at the same easy jog she'd started in -- freezing at the top step for a moment, shocked still and voiceless. For a while, she'd hoped for her beloved teacher to come, to follow them... but she'd given up hope after the first year. 

But now here he was... and he wasn't standing there alone? There was a woman with vividly purple hair, holding the hands of a small child? A child with Quinlan's skin tone? 

"Quinlan?" she asked, after a few seconds of silence, finding her voice and her stride at once. "You -- you're really --" 

Quinlan took in the sight of her, the woman his best friend/little sister/padawan had become, and just shook his head. His braids cascaded around his face as he did, before he swept them back and cleared the distance with easy, long strides to catch hold of her and sweep her into a spinning hug.

"Aayla, I am! I came, once I knew to look, and where!"

She latched on to him, her arms as tight around his shoulders as she could wrap them, her face against his throat. "Oh, Quin... Oh, you wretched man, I'd given up hoping." 

She reached for his mind, tentative but hopeful, across that battered, oft-neglected connection that had been there since before they'd ever really met. She was met with a stronger, healthier connection than they'd last had, when they had shared a fateful and horrible mission that cost her so many men in a ground campaign.

~I'm here, little one. I'm here, and I have missed you! And I have so much to share with you!~

~I'm not little,~ Aayla told him, even as she rejoiced at the touch of his mind to hers, how much stronger and healthier he felt, the steady calm of him and his own joy. ~But oh, I missed you too. Even mad at you I missed you so much.~ 

Not that that wasn't familiar to her, but this she'd-thought-final distance had been worse than most. 

He crushed her tight, just holding on, for that thought. ~I didn't know any of you'd gone. Khaleen and I were deep in the systems that were refusing to acknowledge the war had ended,~ he told her. ~When we did reach the Republic, it was a shock to hear that the army had abandoned the Republic, but even that didn't prepare me for reaching the Temple.~

~Khaleen is her name, then?~ Aayla asked, pressing tight into his embrace and not letting go, making a soft, worried croon, deep in her throat, for the feeling of shock and dismay behind his words. ~Oh, Quin. I am sorry. We had to get away -- did they tell you, surely they did, what the Senate was going to do to my brothers?~ 

~Khaleen. And Korto.~ His mind ran rampant with adoring love for both wife and child. ~And 'Nara filled me in fully. She misses her Commander but is pleased he is safely away from the bickering that is the Senate these days.~

~Depa told us CorSec was keeping the _vod'e_ safe, when she brought hers, but I take it the Senate has not improved. Gree will be overjoyed to hear he's missed, and I'm glad she was there to talk to you. ...oh, the boy _is_ yours, congratulations, Quin! That's wonderful! Can he swim yet?~ 

Aayla was overjoyed that her Quinlan had found a love, had a family, and it bubbled through her. 

~No? He can't walk yet, though Khaleen has been helping him stretch his legs against all the space travel.~ Quinlan brought his forehead down the spot between the lekku rises, greeting his padawan fully. "I take it he needs to learn to swim if we are to visit you here?" he finally asked aloud, before tucking her under an arm to walk over to his spouse and child.

"Kaila won't understand why her new friend won't come play with her," Aayla replied, as she stretched one hand out to the woman's shoulder for a greeting, both out of habit and because Khaleen's hands were busy with Korto. "And she's not up to being out of her pool yet, not for more than a few minutes. Hello and welcome. I suspect it's obvious, but I'm Aaylas'ecura." 

"Khaleen Hentz. And our son, Korto." Khaleen was, however, watching as Quinlan tried to parse that, and what it meant.

"Who is Kaila and why does she need a pool?" he finally asked, making Khaleen smile broadly.

"A pleasure," Aayla said to Khaleen, then smiled, turning just enough to look up at her beloved teacher. "Kaila is Kit's -- yes, Kit Fisto, not a different Kit -- daughter. My daughter." She flicked her gaze back to Khaleen. "Kit is Nautolan, thus so is Kaila." 

At the absolutely shocked look on Quinlan's face, Khaleen lost her hold on her laughter, and once she started, the small boy smiled and giggled too. It took some time for Quinlan to actually speak, and then, it was just two words.

"Master Fisto?!"


	9. Begin the Future

T'ra Saa smiled warmly at the small family with her and Tholme in the kitchen of their apartment. The limestone bluffs they had situated their small unit in had easily been adapted so that every family had its own space, and there were common areas too. What rock had been excavated had been carefully hauled out, shaped, and used to craft corrals and workspace.

"Please tell me, Quinlan, that you did not suffer from a cranial-rectum displacement with your padawan?" Tholme asked as he held Korto on his lap. He pulled his breakfast closer, a porridge made from the processed seaweed the various units near the ocean traded.

"Master!" Quinlan protested.

"He only asked Aayla if she was certain once," Khaleen said sweetly, earning a reproachful look from her spouse.

Tholme snorted, shaking his head in affectionate exasperation. "Why am I not surprised... and how did she respond to that?" 

"If I was certain I wanted to be allowed on the island ever again," Quinlan mumbled, and T'ra Saa began laughing at his petulant little boy voice.

"Oh, Quinlan, you and she never change on that score," she said. "She is well matched with her husbands, and Kaila is a sweet little thing."

"She's adorable," Quinlan agreed, thinking about the small Nautolan splashing around at the surface of her pool, chattering to them and flicking her tiny tentacles around. "And Aayla's... radiant. I _am_ happy for her; it just shocked me!" 

"She was a delight to meet," Khaleen said. "They all were," she added. "And it is good to know this is a colony with a future generation. Even if the men of your army are being careful about rushing headlong into that, with their youngest underfoot still."

"The little boys are everywhere, into everything, and perfect handfuls," T'ra Saa said in turn. "And the older ones, no matter how grown they are, still have life to learn, one that is outside their armor and weapons."

Quinlan nodded, slowly. "That's true, Ma -- sorry, Tholme. That's going to take getting used to, like everything else. But the men... I'm glad they're taking it slow. Letting themselves just live. I took Bly's hand, and for the first time, I didn't get... anything. I mean, I could feel him, but it wasn't -- it didn't hit me the way it used to." 

"Did Luminara… no, she's probably distracted, caring for her padawan. That was such a severe shock for her, and a wake-up, that she could be blind in her mission of life," Tholme said. "After the former Chancellor was exposed, we were more able to investigate the men without being hamstrung.

"A device had been implanted in them all, Quin. A device that could have destroyed who they were, to make them destroy us," he finished.

Khaleen drew in a deep breath, but approved of how Tholme had kept his words on such an even level that Korto never noticed the difficult concept being aired. 

Quinlan forced himself to take a breath, another, as he considered that, rather than frighten his child. Tholme hadn't, so he kriffing well wouldn't. "A... chip? That could have... what? How? How could anything make them destroy us?" 

"It would have, as best we could determine, overrode their wills," T'ra Saa told him. "Completely. As more than one officer has said, it would have made them what the Republic called them, flesh-droids."

"I may have made my profits by despising them, initially," Khaleen said, "but no one deserves that in the least. And I have learned better of them, since the Count was captured." Khaleen had fallen into Quinlan's life as a Separatist, after all.

"That's... horrific," Quinlan said slowly, turning that over and over in his mind. "I -- that's awful, Master. I... is... that, what I was getting flashes of, maybe? It's dead now, right? Defunct, whatever? You fixed it."

"Completely eradicated. A kill switch was found, and then they were removed." Tholme shared some of his breakfast with the boy in his lap, smiling when it got a lip smack and thoughtful look. "It takes getting used to, yes," he agreed with Korto.

"So with your best friend south, your former padawan on the island, and us here, have you decided where you wish to settle with your family?" T'ra Saa asked, looking more at Khaleen than Quinlan, but pitching the question for both.

"We haven't really discussed it yet," Khaleen answered. "We thought we'd stay here until we decide, so the scout ship stays available longer."

"You just had to go and spread out all over to make things difficult for me, didn't you, M -- Tholme," Quinlan asked, sighing. "But Khaleen's right, we haven't really talked about it yet. I... don't know. Aayla won't want me underfoot all the time, neither will Obi-Wan, but I hate to be _too_ far away from them." 

"Perhaps you should look into the ship-building community?" T'ra Saa suggested. "To be able to visit all of us in due time, without using the scout ship?"

Khaleen looked at her mate, considering that. "I have no idea if I get sea-sick."

"I don't remember if I do, either, but that... makes a lot of sense," Quinlan replied, after thinking about it for a few seconds. Traveling would be good, if it didn't make Korto sick, and then he could just kind of shift between them without staying so long that they started getting on each other's nerves. 

"We'll introduce you," Tholmes said, liking the idea as Quinlan had ever been a restless soul. If it suited the trio, then it was a good solution. "Gree's probably heard a good bit about you, but he's proving to have the head and heart of a man that can head up a fleet for us," he added, warning Quinlan he'd be dealing with Luminara's former commander. Even at that, Quinlan just nodded, accepting it.

A new life, for an ex-Separatist thief with her ex-Jedi Shadow and their child, would be one more reason to be thankful for the opportunities of their new home.


End file.
